2024 CCSG Player Rankings: Matchday 2 vs. Cavalry FC
Old habits die hard. I’m not just talking about the team once again conceding a late goal, but also the general lack of initiative in the first half when playing at home. Cavalry are a tough side to break down of course, but the consistent passing around the periphery, hoping only to break through the middle with a long ball from one of our centre backs is growing tiresome. That said, there were individual performances that I thought helped us get over the collective malaise going forward. Maybe I’m expecting too much from a team that seemed to be designed to overcome the attacking problems that plagued the 2023 Atlético Ottawa side, but with the class that has been brought in across the pitch, I don’t think my expectations are misplaced. Onto the ratings:
#9 Samuel Salter
(6.1): That I can look at Sam Salter’s heatmap and see presence in the opposing 18-yard box means, at the very least, there was a marginal improvement from last week. We can discuss service all we like when it comes to the striker getting opportunities, but regardless of that, 1 attempt from two games is not good enough - particularly when that attempt is a header that goes harmlessly over the bar on a well-placed cross from Ballou Tabla. These issues are exacerbated when that same striker isn’t providing the necessary ability in build-up play or as a part of the press. On Saturday, his passing numbers and duel-winning percentage improved from matchday 1, but it’s not enough to convince me that he should still be starting in this side. He’s been motivated when playing against Halifax, evidenced by his two-goal performance against them last season, and will need to have that same level of performance to build back confidence from this fanbase.
#19 Ruben Del Campo
(6.3): While he was brought on to see out the game, Ruben Del Campo isn’t offering much more than his fellow #9 in the final third. I felt like he held off Daan Klomp as best he could in aerial situations late, but this is just me searching for positives. If the striker play continues along this trajectory, some major changes will need to be made to the attack. We’ve scored 3 goals, none of them from our attackers and only 2 shots have been registered by our strikers through 180 minutes of the season.
#13 Ballou Tabla
(6.5): Ballou Tabla took a few games to get up to his level in 2022. This is what I’ve been telling myself since he came off the pitch against Cavalry. There were certainly more flashes of the player that was so highly regarded two years ago, but he’s not put that together into a full performance just yet. The biggest difference, and why I’m slightly more concerned, is that his first two games in 2022 were played outside his preferred position on the left wing, where he has been in these opening contests. That said, his ability to deal with a second player coming to mark him has improved and his patience on the ball is the mark of someone who has matured. There was a moment in the final friendly where Tabla was put up as the striker, and maybe this is the sort of dynamic shift that will kick the attack into gear.
#34 Manny Aparicio
(6.8): Not every game is going to result in two goal contributions. Manny Aparicio’s ability to be effective regardless of direct impact on the scoreline is what sets him apart from the midfielders we had playing alongside Ollie Bassett through much of last season. He continued to show his ability to win second balls, and to make decisive challenges in the opposing third to create quick counter-attacking opportunities. These qualities are what I appreciate most about Manny’s game through 180 minutes. I also appreciate that he managed to avoid picking up a yellow card, as it feels like he will be ever present in this XI if available. As the season continues, I do hope the rest of the team adjusts to Manny’s mentality on the press and counter. It feels like the rest of the side is just a half step behind him in those moments, and an uptick in intensity throughout may be a little too much to ask, but once or twice a game to change the pace and put that in the mind of the opposition would go a long way. With those improvements, and if Manny’s passing accuracy could tick above the 80% mark, I think there’s a very good chance this team rounds into its most complete self.
#33 Abou Sissoko
(6.7): Trying to define the role that Abou Sissoko is supposed to play in this team is difficult. At times it feels like he’s a second striker, at others he’s shifting out wide to play in tandem with Kris Twardek. He even dropped and played as a pseudo-six in the waning moments of this game after the substitution of Alberto Zapater. This variety in roles makes it harder to evaluate him as a player because the product of each of these positions varies so heavily. His physical tools are always on display, and they manifest in his ability to win ground duels, something he did at a 66% rate in this game, and in his ability to beat players off the dribble when the ball eventually gets to him in a dangerous position. The problem is the ball is put to him in places where he can’t impact the game as much as his ability demonstrates. All that said, the team looked much better when he swapped positions with Ollie Bassett in the final 10 minutes of the first half, and for the first twenty of the second half. Perhaps him coming down the right is the solution to a better progression of the ball in sustained possession sequences, letting Ollie play in his most natural role.
#10 Ollie Bassett
(6.9): This is more of what we need to see from Ollie, not the least of which was getting a corner into the six-yard box over the head of the first defender. Didic’s header earned Ollie his first goal contribution of the year, but it’s definitely not the piece I’m most impressed with from his play against Cavalry. Shifting back inside from the right-wing midway through the first half, Ollie looked more comfortable in the middle of the park than he had through the end of much of last season. He’s not going to completely abandon the right touchline, as being static is the death of any footballer, but Ollie playing in the middle pocket made the team look dangerous in the final third. 4 key passes, double the output from the rest of the team, and 85% passing accuracy is exactly what you need from your designated playmaker. This needs to be the game plan moving forward to get the most out of this lineup, as much as it may have made sense to get Ollie out on the wing to put the best eleven players on the field.
#7 Kevin dos Santos
(6.7): The defensive responsibility I touched on last week as being a vital part of how Kevin dos Santos will integrate into this team bore fruit against Cavalry. Coming into the game at the same time as last week but with a different game state meant that Kevin had to demonstrate defensive commitment alongside a threat going forward. 50% ground duel percentage is a good sign to me that Kevin can be counted on to help see games out. Going forward, he was able to win 3 free kicks and successfully complete two dribbles to maintain possession and kill clock in the dying stages of the match. These brief spells aren’t entirely indicative of how he could make a difference over 90 minutes but extrapolating the generally positive elements of his game means a starting opportunity shouldn’t be too far off.
#21 Alberto Zapater
(6): Form is temporary.
This was the worst performance I have seen from Alberto Zapater in an Atlético Ottawa shirt. After not being dispossessed once against York, Zapater made two crucial giveaways that led to good chances for Cavalry. The first of those forced him into a foul that saw him booked in the 4th minute, severely hampering his defensive presence for the remainder of the game. With a 40%-win rate in duels, and not really contesting many to begin with, it’s easy to see how impactful an early yellow can be to a defensive midfielder. Despite these lapses, Zapater managed to maintain nearly 90% accuracy on his passes including a lovely switch of play that led to a counterattack shortly before his substitution in the second half. Those 25 minutes after he was substituted were the first minutes he hadn’t played in the CPL since his entry into his first game against Valour in July of last year. Given the high standard he has set for himself since arriving last summer, Zapater on his worst day is still an invaluable member of the starting XI. That said, Sergio Camargo looked the best player on the pitch through the first half, and Zapater was the player assigned to look after him defensively. I don’t foresee this being the norm, but we need to realize that a 39-year-old can’t play every minute of all 28 games this season.
#22 Matteo de Brienne
(7): William Akio was a complete non-factor in this game. Matteo did everything he possibly could to prevent the winger from providing any service to his teammates, and unfortunately, he couldn’t complete the match, coming off in the 82nd minute. His attacking play left a little bit to be desired, but given his defensive responsibility was much more important to the team’s success in this game, it’ll be forgiven. The most astounding of his defensive stats was his win rate in aerial duels, going 5 of 6, but all of them stand out. 6 clearances, 3 interceptions, and a perfect win rate in ground duels is a recipe for a dominant performance. That he had to come off with cramp is enough to give any fan a bit of pause, as through two games, he’s been the most consistent defensive presence, denying plenty of opportunities for the opposition. The other concern is that his level of play remains so high that people come calling in the summer. He’s only 21 years old (though turning 22 this year), and frankly I don’t think he’s long for the CPL if he continues to improve at this rate.
#5 Luke Singh
(6.5): I spoke in the pre-season about Luke Singh’s ability to distribute from defence being a key piece in the attacking game plan for Carlos Gonzalez. That element of his game has been lacking through the first two games of the season. He did not make errors to the level that were present against York, but he didn’t stand out with the ball at his feet, and he wasn’t making too many crucial interventions on the defensive end either. Only 33% success rate on his duels, as well as no successful tackles, mean the only real defensive actions he made were his 5 clearances. To solidify his spot in the starting lineup with Tyr seemingly building towards a starting place, the distribution needs to improve, otherwise the u21 minute requirement makes Tyr a far more enticing option in the coming weeks.
#55 Amer Didic
(7.2): After a pretty nondescript debut, Amer Didic showed the Atleti faithful why he’s been such a presence in the Canadian Premier League with a towering header that put the home side in the lead minutes into the second half. The threat he provides on set pieces is something that has been lacking for Atleti throughout this club’s history. The only knock you can really have on his performance is that he went under 50% on his duels while getting into 9 of them, but otherwise he was as defensively stable as everyone had anticipated. That he also completed 89% of his passes without being dispossessed was important. He has been everything that was advertised through two games this season, and it is vindicating to see such a player make the choice to come here and play with plenty of other options at his disposal.
#23 Kris Twardek
(6.8): The unfortunate deflection that resulted in Cavalry’s late equalizer will go down as an own goal for Kris Twardek. Some will point to his positioning in relation to Lleyton Brooks as being the issue, others will point to the cross being allowed to come into the box in the first place. I’d rather look at the whole of Twardek’s game than crater my assessment for the mistake at the end of it. Twardek continues to make a real impact in the attacking phases of the game from right back, working well with whoever happens to be ahead of him down the right wing. 81% passing, winning two free kicks, and four passes into the final third are the numbers that show this. Defensively, he managed to win all his duels, meaning our fullbacks went 14/15 in that area, and both of his tackles attempted. The downside was that he picked up a yellow card in a second consecutive game, and the slow accumulation of these cards will be killer later in the season as our right back depth is going to be tested.
#15 Maxim Tissot
(6.6): Maxim Tissot in the left of a back 3 was far more effective than I think most had anticipated from the career left back. He was getting into important positions and making a couple of key clearances. The unfortunate thing about his performance was that, left one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he couldn’t find the back of the net, hitting the inside of the post and having it bounce out to Daan Klomp who cleared it harmlessly away. Only a minute later he stuck too tight to Ali Musse, allowing Fraser Aird the space to get the vital cross in to have Cavalry claim the point they probably deserved. Tissot’s role seems destined to be that of a substitute, and as a leader in late-game situations. Hopefully his luck will turn in the future, because the fact that we were literally centimetres away from three points is heartbreaking.
#4 Tyr Walker
(NR): It’s a bit curious that these were the first minutes Tyr Walker had ever played at TD Place. Given the positive momentum he had built in his starts at the end of last season, he managed to do that without the pressure of playing in front of his home crowd. Whether or not that was by design is purely in the mind of Carlos Gonzalez, but as the u21 minute requirements looms on the horizon, this appearance is far from the last Tyr will be making at home.
#29 Nathan Ingham
(6.3): I’ll take the blame on this one, I spoke too soon about Nathan Ingham’s ability to distribute. The Atlético Ottawa keeper only completed one of eighteen long balls attempted on Saturday, a paltry 5.5% completion rate. In a game where there was a distinct lack of build-up play, the fact that we couldn’t take advantage of long balls from our goalkeeper made it so that there were even fewer options to try and break down a staunch Cavalry set-up. Our defence didn’t make life easy for Ingham in this game, as he needed to make 7 saves, most of which came towards the end of the match as the team sat back and looked to absorb pressure. Fortunately, the saves were mostly routine, bar the earliest chance Cavalry had towards the Atlético goal, which can be put down to a decent defensive effort to not give the Cavalry players the time and space they needed to fire more dangerous attempts at goal. In the end, he was only beaten by a ricochet off his own player, but there’s something in the air that I can’t quite put my finger on regarding Ingham’s play.
Despite having some good performances, the collective was much less than the sum of its parts. It’s frustrating to see good talent not be put into places where they can showcase their ability. Much of that can be put at the feet of an organized Cavalry side who were better on the day, but also likely not at their best either. Some of it must be thought through, however. The tactical approach in the second half was reasonable given the game state, and we’d all certainly be in a better mood had Maxim Tissot’s 88th minute effort ricocheted in the opposite direction of the right post, but the first halves are lifeless, and they have been for a while now. Compound that with it being 6 home games since a goal has been scored in front of section W, and you can see why I’m getting a tad restless. 4 points from the first two games is wonderful at first glance, but the more you look at it, the more this animal might just be a paper tiger.
About Patrick
Having joined CCSG in 2022, Patrick started his footie career playing at the age of 4 and began watching the pros around the same time. While the first pro team he supported was Manchester United, as soon as Atlético Ottawa came to town, he was immediately on board. His wealth of footie knowledge has been a constant asset, along with his role as caretaker for Atléti Wikipedia pages.
